Sustainable Hand Dived Scallops

Posted
2 years ago

At Fish for Thought, we are on a mission to change the way people enjoy fish and shellfish forever. In order to achieve this, we recognise that we need to lead the way when it comes to sustainable and ethical sourcing.

As part of our recent new website launch, we have taken time to review the range of fish and shellfish that we offer. This has involved us spending time with organisations like The Marine Stewardship Council, The Cornwall Good Seafood Guide and The Marine Conservation Society.

One of the products that we decided to stop offering are dredged scallops, as this fishing method does significant damage to the seabed, involves bycatch and impacts the biodiversity of the areas where this method is used. We love scallops, and we know that you do too, so we challenged ourselves to find a better source. Over the last few weeks we have been searching for a sustainable alternative for you.

We are delighted to have teamed up with Peter Mills and his team of intrepid divers from Saltash. They are as committed to ethical and sustainable fishing as we are, and hand dive for the scallops from their vessel, The Diana Rose, off the south coast of Devon. They are so pristine and fresh and taste absolutely incredible.

We carefully cut them by hand here at FFT HQ, and clean and pack them in 6's. We also offer clean shells in packs of 6 if you would like to cook or present the fish in the shell.

Due to the nature of this fishing method, the ability for us to source the product does depend on weather conditions and ocean visibility. At times when we are unable to offer fresh scallops, we will have a stock of blast frozen hand dived scallops so that you are not disappointed.

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There is no doubt that while sustainability in the fishing industry is a complex issue, it's one which we cannot, and must not, ignore. The British people and the fishing authorities are fully engaged in putting sustainability at the top of both the UK, and the wider European, political agenda, and here at Fish for Thought it's something with which we agree wholeheartedly.

The Cornish Hake fishery is an incredible success story and an inspiring example of what can be achieved to help fisheries recover. As recently as 2006, Hake was a species that was suffering from significant over-fishing and stocks were falling - it was most definitely not sustainable and was highlighted as a species 'to avoid'.